Soapbox Derby on KALX-FM

Bo Laanan of the Occupy Berkeley movement joined us on Soapbox...

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:00:00 -0800

Bo Laanan of the Occupy Berkeley movement joined us on Soapbox Derby to discuss the eviction of campers at Civic Center Park on December 22, 2011, as well as the future of the movement in the coming year.

Occupy Wall St. West - Cracking the Corporate Piggy Bank
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco
http://www.occupywallstwest.org

Links:
http://www.occupyberkeley.org
facebook.com/occupyberkeley

Liz and Bo Peter Laanen speak about recent developments...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:00:00 -0700

Liz and Bo Peter Laanen speak about recent developments concerning Occupy Berkeley.

Ezra Rapport, Executive Director of the Association of Bay Area...

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:00:00 -0700

Ezra Rapport, Executive Director of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), discusses the Sustainable Communities Strategy and describes how planning takes place at a regional level.

Lois Uttley, Co-Founder of Raising Women’s Voices,...

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:00:00 -0700

Lois Uttley, Co-Founder of Raising Women’s Voices, discusses the recent recommendation by the Institute of Medicine that contraceptives by covered by health plans.

David Snyder of the Berkeley Public Library Foundation speaks...

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:00:00 -0700

David Snyder of the Berkeley Public Library Foundation speaks about the effort to renovate Berkeley’s branch libraries.

Meric Long of The Dodos talks about what influences his...

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:00:00 -0800

Meric Long of The Dodos talks about what influences his song-writing process, the band’s new line-up and the making of the new album No Color.

Lance Knobel, co-founder of Berkeleyside, discusses the progress...

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:00:00 -0800

Lance Knobel, co-founder of Berkeleyside, discusses the progress of the site, the state of the news industry and gives the score of Berkeleyside’s 2010 Resolutions.

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEOs Polly Armstrong and John...

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 21:00:00 -0800

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce CEOs Polly Armstrong and John DeClercq discuss their shared position, the local business climate and current projects in West Berkeley and Downtown, including the Berkeley Startup Cluster. [Length: 25:34]

KUSF Music Director Irwin Swirnoff discusses the recent...

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 21:00:00 -0800

KUSF Music Director Irwin Swirnoff discusses the recent announcement by USF that the current KUSF will be moving to an online-only format and that the call letters 90.3 will be used by a Southern California non-commercial classical station. [Length: 25:45]

State Senator Loni Hancock discusses California state...

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:30:00 -0700

State Senator Loni Hancock discusses California state propositions on the ballot November 2, 2010, including the importance of Proposition 25.

Post-Election Wrap Up Roundtable Hosts Lars Skjerping, Lee...

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 21:00:00 -0700

Post-Election Wrap Up Roundtable

Hosts Lars Skjerping, Lee Cressey and Loretta Gaines discuss the week’s California primary election.

California Propositions on June 8th Ballot Tuesday, June 8,...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:00:00 -0700

California Propositions on June 8th Ballot

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 is election day. We discuss the five California state propositions. These are:

Prop 13: Limits taxes on Seismic Retrofitting

Prop 14: Elections. Increases right to participate in primary elections. Top two Vote getters from the June primary will face off in the November general election.

Prop 15: California Fair Elections. Public Funding for Candidates for Secretary of State. Candidates will be able finance their campaign with public funds. Private entities cannot “buy” a candidate. Leverages fees on lobbyists.

Prop 16: 2/3rds Voter Approval before local governments can provide electricity from local sources…instead of PG&E. Campaign solely funded by PG&E.

Prop 17: Auto Insurance companies base their prices on a drivers history of insurance coverage…not their history of driver safety. Paid for by Mercury auto insurance.

Soapbox Derby talks about the impacts each of these props will have on our state, as well as who is funding it. Prop 16 & 17 are funded by corporations and have outspent the opposition by 100 to 1 (Prop 16) and 10 to 1 (Prop 17).

Voter Information Links:
Secretary of State - http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/
Ballotpedia - http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_2010_ballot_propositions
League of Womens Voters - http://www.cavotes.org/vote/ballot-measures
Article on Props 16 & 17 - http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-business-props-20100605,0,7858605.story

Earth Day with Shana Lazerow, Staff Attorney for Communities for...

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 22:00:00 -0700

Earth Day with Shana Lazerow, Staff Attorney for Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)

The first earth day was on April 22, 1970. It was spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, who in 1963, was troubled that the environment was a non-issue in the politics of the country. Seven years later after much political wrangling, Earth Day was unveiled to an American populace that finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air.

Today, climate change has become a looming threat to the world at large. Industrialized nations tried to tackle this issue at the Climate talks in Copenhagen last December, with no real success. In response, the Peoples Climate Summit is taking place in Cochabamba, Bolivia, as a response to the failure of the Copenhagen talks.

It is disproportionately the nations that have contributed the least amount of climate damage, that have suffered the worst. This can also be mirrored on a local scale as our working-class communities here in the bay area, tend to suffer the most environmental damage, such as the neighborhoods who loom beneath the spector of the Chevron refinery in Richmond.

Tonight we will be talking with Shana Lazerow who is the staff attorney for Oakland based organization, Communities for a Better Environment. Their mission is to achieve environmental health and justice by building grassroots power in and with communities of color and working-class communities. There organization is putting on an event this Saturday called, “Love Yo Mama Earth Day in East Oakland.” The theme this year: “Green is Good for the Hood.”

Guest: Shana Lazerow, Staff Attorney, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)

“East Oakland suffers alot more of the environmental impacts of the Bay Area than the Bay Area as a whole or even Alameda County as a whole.” - Lazerow

“This [event] is a celebration; people know they are suffering from the pollution that goes on. We want people to come together to feel empowered with and in their community, to really make a change.” - Lazerow

Links:
Communities for a Better Environment - http://www.cbecal.org

2nd Segment:
We also talked with Robbie Clarke, of the Oakland-based organization, Just Cause. They are organizing a rally/protest in the SF Financial District to hold Wells Fargo accountable. The demands are to create jobs; keep families in their homes; rebuild our neighborhoods; stop predatory lending and reclaim our democracy.

Links:
Just Cause - http://www.cjcc.org

Soapbox Derby is Produced by: Jesse Townley, Lars Skjerping, Marshall Stax
Engineer: Lee Cressey
Host: Loretta Gaines, Lee Cressey
http://informationradio.info
soapboxderby.kalx@gmail.com

Topic: Immigration Reform with Jon Rodney (032510) Tens of...

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:00:00 -0700

Topic: Immigration Reform with Jon Rodney (032510)

Tens of thousands marched on Washington D.C. this past Sunday, March 21, to send a message to the White House that immigration reform legislation is an urgent priority in order to provide a path to legal status for millions of immigrants in the U.S.

Talking with us tonight on the issue of Immigration Reform is Jon Rodney. He is the communications manager at East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE). The Oakland based organization works to raise standards for working families by building bridges between labor, community, and faith to lift workers out of poverty. “EBASE believes that full inclusion of immigrants in our society is essential for economic recovery and building shared prosperity for all working people.

Guest: Jon Rodney, Communications Manager, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)

“Because of our broken immigration system, young people have tremendous challenges accessing financial aid, getting employed and using their skills and talents. A fair pathway to citizenship is the piece [of legislation] that we want to see.” - Rodney

Rodney urges people to call our Senator, Diane Feinstein @ 415-393-0707 and say, “Senator Feinstein, change takes courage. Pass immigration reform this year.”

Links:

East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)
http://workingeastbay.org

NY Times Article: March on Washington - 3/21

SF Chronicle Article: Immigration March (3/23) on Diane Feinstein’s Office in SF

Soapbox Derby is Produced by: Jesse Townley, Lars Skjerping, Marshall Stax, Loretta Gaines
Engineer: Lars Skjerping
Host: Lee Cressey

We want to hear from you! Email us with suggestions for guests and topics.

March 25 SBD: Jon Rodney of EBASE will discuss Immigration Reform

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:52:42 -0700

Talking with us tonight on the issue of Immigration Reform is Jon Rodney. He is the communications manager at East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE). The Oakland based organization works to raise standards for working families by building bridges between labor, community, and faith to lift workers out of poverty. “EBASE believes that full inclusion of immigrants in our society is essential for economic recovery and building shared prosperity for all working people.

Guest: Jon Rodney, Communications Manager, East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)

http://workingeastbay.org/

Topic: Immigration Reform

NY Times Article: March on Washington - 3/21

SF Chronicle Article: Immigration March (3/23) on Diane Feinstein’s Office in SF

Callers Welcome at: (510)642-0993

Thurs, March 11 - Continuing Coverage of the March 4th Day of Action

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:09:00 -0800

Tonight’s Show (March 11): Continuing coverage of the March 4th Day of Action to Save Public Education. Last weeks show can be found under archives: http://bit.ly/cOpHdL.

Along with audio montages of the Day of Action, we will also be talking to Laney College Student Reginald James. He is host of Laney Tower Radio’s The Black Hour and former Editor-in-Chief of Peralta Community College Districts campus paper, the Laney Tower.

James covered the rally in Oakland, right onto the freeway. He will be giving eye-witness coverage of the events that unfolded between the protesters and the cops that led to the closure of Oakland’s 980/880 freeway interchange. His photos can be found here: freeway photos.

Call in and share your story, perspective, thoughts and observations of the March tonight by calling in @ 510-642-0993.

Links:

The Black Hour

Laney Tower

freeway photos

March 4th coverage with Lee Cressey

The March 4th Day of Action arrived with rallies and marches taking place in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and throughout the state in solidarity with the struggle for public education here in California. Teachers, professors, workers, UC students, CSU students, Community College students, high school students, middle school students, parents, children, unions and adult educators unified to send a message to Sacramento that our “education is a right, not a privilege.” This day also took on a greater significance as a national day of action for public education with more rallies and protests taking place at campuses across the country.

March 4th Day of Action (March 4, 2010) The March 4th Day of...

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:00:00 -0800

March 4th Day of Action (March 4, 2010)

On this show, Loretta Gaines interviews KALX Radio’s Lee Cressey, who covered the march from Laney College to Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, then headed to San Francisco to join the large rally in front of San Francisco City Hall.

Chant of the Day: “No Cuts! No Fees! Education should be free!”

“We know that this country has money to bail out the banks; has money to send soldiers to kill people in Iraq and Afghanistan; has money to build more prisons - but suddenly they don’t have the money for education?” UC Berkeley organizer Blanca Misse asked the crowd in San Francisco.

Guest:
Lee Cressey - Journalist (KALX Radio, Laney Tower)
LJCressey@gmail.com

Links:
http://www.laneytower.com
http://kalx.berkeley.edu
http://againstcuts.org

http://bit.ly/bpJznW - SF Chronicle article on the protests

http://bit.ly/crrbRn - Photos of Freeway blockage courtesy of Reginald James

Engineer: Lee Cressey
Host: Loretta Gaines

Prof. Stephen Vladeck discusses Free Speech, Peacemakers and...

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:00:00 -0800

Prof. Stephen Vladeck discusses Free Speech, Peacemakers and the Supreme Court - What’s at stake in Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project.

On February 23, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, a constitutional challenge to laws that make it a crime to provide material support to designated terrorist groups, even when such “support” consists only of speech aimed at reducing violence.

Is this counterproductive to our national interests? Do efforts to get people lay down arms really present a threat to our national security?

Soapbox Derby: NO CUTS to California Education (February 18,...

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 08:03:43 -0800

Soapbox Derby: NO CUTS to California Education (February 18, 2010)

Description:
March 4, 2010 is the date decided on by representatives from K-12, UC’s, CSU’s, and CC’s as the “Day of Action” to unify in the fight to save California’s public education system. UC’s and CSU’s tend to get the coverage, while Community Colleges have been overlooked. Soapbox Derby talks with members of the “No Cuts to Education” coalition, out of Berkeley City College (BCC), about plans for March 4, and why this day is significant in the fight to save education in this prosperous state.

Day of Action:
March 4th
Mass Rally @ SF City Center
5 - 7 pm

Panel:
Jen Wood - Student Organizer
Buddy Roark - Student Organizer
Todd Evans - Part-Time Teacher at BCC
Dielly Diaz - student of the PACE Program (adult education)

Links:
http://againstcuts.org
email: nocutstoeducation@gmail.com

March 4: Day of Action to Save CA Public Education - Jen Wood

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:12:46 -0800

This Thurs, February 18, we will talk with student organizer Jen Wood to discuss the upcoming March 4 unified Day of Action to save California Public Education (K-12, UC’s, CSU’s, CC’s).

Wood is a student at Berkeley City College (BCC) and part of the BCC Global Studies group that has been organizing with students, faculty and staff on the community college level since the Sept. 24 protest against budget cuts that took place on UC Berkeley’s Sproul plaza.

Website: http://againstcuts.org